Train Ride With Dad

I remember the first time my dad took me to Matanzas. I had never been to my uncle Kico's house and I was as excited as I could be. I must have been about eight years old at the time. It was a long time ago so there are many details I don't remember. But before I go any further, you must know that public transportation is horrible everywhere in Cuba, my homeland. And if traveling between provinces, it is guaranteed to be no better.

My dad and I had to take the train from Havana City to Matanzas, where uncle Kico lived. The trip took a few more hours than it should've, considering the distance, partly because it stops in every town on the way for a few minutes allowing passengers to come on and off but mostly because it is extremely slow.

We are almost there and it's only a few more stops before we reach ours when my dad tells me to gather my share of our bags and to start getting ready to leave. By this time all the seats and aisles are full with people. We stuggle to get close to the nearest door, squeezing through the crowd.

We finally reach our stop. The train stops and the crowd awaiting outside rushes in pushing us aside. People are still trying to get inside when we hear the whistle and feel the machines come alive underneath us again. The train is moving and we are still on it. Suddenly, my dad pulls me towards the door which became accessible once the machine began to move. There's no doubt the train is gaining speed as well. We have no time, he tells me we're going to have to jump. He grabs my bag and together with his throws them out the door. Everything after that happened in a blaze of a moment. I hear him hit the ground while I'm still rolling from my fall. Feeling a little dizzy still, I see a tall figure running at full speed towards us while the train is moving at a faster speed to my other side. It was Kico. He hugs us and kisses both of us full of happiness while saying "I was losing hope when i didn't see you come off but as soon as I saw the bulks flying out of the moving train, I knew it had to be you two."

Going Shopping Online

Of all the things I thought I would be doing in Iraq, it never crossed my mind that I would end up a super Amazon online shopper. Everything is just a couple of clicks away now. No more getting dressed, driving and walking all over the mall to find something to make me happy for a little while. It all started with a couple of books. I’ve always been a reader and since I’ve in this place I haven’t found much else to do, therefore books have been an awesome time killer. Then I found a tripod for my camera that would be perfect for a deployment. With that came the new camera case, the waterproof camera housing, the speakers, the Ipod holder and a few other irresistible items. Before I could stop myself; I was buying a new printer, that I wouldn’t even be able to use until I got home but ‘it was too much of a good price to let it pass’, I told myself. The truth is, I was expecting to be deprived from many of the small luxuries I have at home but I would have never imagined that shopping online would become my little addiction to make up for my accessibility to real stores. It’s all just a perfect example of how we adapt when our surroundings change, and how we always manage to find new options when the ones that are familiar to us disappear, sometimes even without realizing it.